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There’s Darkness on the Edge of Disney

Today marks the 71st birthday of my musical hero. You’d think with all the heavy music YHC is into, that my selection would be different. But that artist is none other than the great Bruuuuuce! Springsteen from the great state of New Jersey! His music captures themes of brotherhood, loyalty, perseverance, rising above your expectations of yourself, using your good heart to do good things, and the ass-kicking power of rock n roll! It was a dark morning in the places YHC took the pax today. It’s in dark places we can find faith and we can measure our strength. Contrary to the pax initial thoughts, we did not only do activities reflecting that we are Born to Run.

FNG’s: None
Warm Up: Mosey loop around soccer field with a detour to the bottom of the large disc golf hill. “Take the Hill” warm up commenced. Good Mornings x10, take the hill!, Imperial Walkers, run along the ridge, Hillbillies, return to bottom. Repeated the loop 2x more with SSH x20, Frankenstein’s, Windmills, Sir Fazios, Squatted Seal Claps, Overhead Claps. 1 pax disappeared to lighten his load and met up with the pax later.
The Workout: Indian run the 3/4 mile-ish to the Abyss. Pax who disappeared, met us there. YHC called for a DORA. Pax partnered up and completed 100 hand release-release merkins (a move from IronPax), 200 Star Jumps, 300 monkey humpers. Pax going down the stairs started with 3 burpees at the bottom and added 1 with each trip down. Most pax got to 8-9 burpees. YHC just about gassed out twice on the abyss. Hit me like a dump truck.  When finished, we fellowship ran back to the flag for Mary.
Mary: 10 WW1, 15 H2M, 20 LBC’s IC.
Announcements: 3rd F Ted Talk next Tuesday featuring Dahmer. F3 HS half chatter.
T-Claps (Recognition): Midget for checking on YHC when he was woozy a few times. Kid Cracker for finding the most “wonderful AO in SouthWake”
Prayer: Firefighters in Clayton for the loss. Our brother Nemo. Our brother Tetanus with injury. POTS took us out. Honored to lead this group today!

Good thing my M knows math or my kids would be screwed.

Another glorious morning at the greatest place on earth. YHC was excited to see Deadbolt doing some weasel shaking last night on Facebook as a pre-blast so I followed up on Slacks.  I had an FNG coming out and it was great to see all the HC’s coming in. Welcome FNG OJ!

I promised simple and effective. If my math was better, it might have been a little smoother. The whole jack webb thing messes with me.

FNGs: Welcome OJ!
Warm Up: FNG Disclaimer, Lot Mosey, SSH x40 IC, Frankenstein x10, Sir Fazio, Seal Claps, OHC all x10 IC. Daisy Pickers x10, Standard Merkin x15.
The Workout: Mosey to the Abyss. Split into partners.  1 Partner at the top cycle through Standard, Wide and Military Merkins AMRAP until partner 2 returns from down the stairs and 10 Star Jumps at the bottom. Cycle through until each person has done the bottom 3 times.  We all went down and picked up the 6 with 10 Star Jumps.

Mosey back to the fields.

Suicide Lines

1st Set: Halfway, all the way.  At halfway, Mt Climbers IC x15, End WWII x15

2nd Set: Halfway: Chilly Jacks x15 IC, SSH x15 IC

3rd Set: Jack Webb 2-4 finish with 10-20 (or something close to that, this is where my math went off the rails)

Mary: Homer to Marge x10 IC (L/R), Box Cutter x10, LBC’s x20 IC
Announcements: HS/FV Q battle next week. Bring “all the clothes” for healing transitions
T-Claps (Recognition): Goldilocks, Bondo for hitting it hard today and FNG OJ!
Prayer: Those impacted by the storm, Families in Beirut, Small Business owners, YHC took us out.

If I had known we would stop early, I would have done more squats…

It’s been a few weeks since I took the helm at Disney. I have had some ideas rolling around and my Q-Plan kept getting pushed based on some great leadership stepping up to fill the Q-Sheet (including Bobby Dahl’s VQ which was brutal). Given the recent postings that kicked off around mental health and PTSD awareness I thought we should incorporate some of that into the beat down. So… We took a friend along with us for the ride today (about a 30lb rock) and we did a shit ton of merkins.

FNGs: NOPE
Warm Up: Quick trip around the lot to circle up. SSH x25, 5 Burpees OYO, Imperial Walker x10, Good morning x10, Daisy Picker x10, SSH x15
The Workout: Bataan Death March – But we’re going slow and low and carrying our friend. 1st man out with the rock and mosey along to exchange with the first person in line. Repeato for almost a mile to the half-circle behind the school.

Count off in 2’s and pair up.  DORA 200 LBC’s 400 Merkins, 600 Squats…..Partner splits first and taking a loop up the stairs and across the trailers with 2 stops before back down the other stairs to return to your partner. 1st stop 10 merkins to the corner past the top of the stairs another 10 merkins back to your partner.  After the first loop around the rock was brought into play. It was exchanged through each group so everyone could get a turn carrying it around. Because of time we had to end early, which I know everyone was not happy about… Nemo – not knowing I was gonna have to cut us off early said he would have done more squats if he knew. Ha. Q knew that this was a risk going in of not being able to finish but also wanted to see how far we could get.

Return with the rock for Mary.

Mary: Homer to Marge x10 RL, WWI x10, WWII x10, We’ll call this one The Crotch (basically your soles of shoes are touching and knees folded out, laying on your back. You reach forward using your abs to move your hands from over your “cup” forward.) x10 and then hold as directed by the Q x10 + 5 holds, LBC’s x10 IC, Iron Cross x10, A standing crunch x20.  HND.
Announcements: “Q Swap” starting 8/10 – opportunity to show off between Fuquay and Holly Springs. Mookie to post details soon.
T-Claps (Recognition): Welcome back Kid Cracker! We’ve missed you. Also – POTS – Dude sprinted up the lot hill to Mary hauling ass and carrying that rock over his head.
Prayer: Full House’s extended family, Hump from F3 Raleigh and his M as they are going through some birth complications.

Don’t Buy The Fake News From Dem Boys Runnin For The Toilet

Me and Fanny Pack were up late getting ready for this morning’s workout. Fanny Pack was mowing the grass while I cleaned the bathrooms in case any random speed walkers with irritable bowels needed to make a pit stop. 520am came quickly and the gloom brought out some star power including the likes of M4L and Doc among others, and the place was looking pristine. We also welcomed back Cotter Kid Cracker, and Bondo who was making his second appearance since his FNG workout on Monday.

FNGs: Nada

Warm Up:

We started with a mosey around the soccer fields (doing our best to steer clear of the tennis courts) to the far parking lot for some warm up exercises….

Daisy Pickers x10, Annies x12, Imperial Walker x15, Hillbilly x15

The Workout:

Indian run around and past the amphitheater and make a left turn over the small bridge and another left at the fork in the path around the baseball fields. Stopped at the volleyball courts for a spontaneous 5 burpees OYO. Then continued to loop around baseball fields with an Indian run until we reached the bottom of the decline in the path (behind the fence of the outfield). This made for a nice hill to incorporate into the workout.

11’s with the Hill – Side Straddle Squats at the bottom and burpees at the top…Poop eater decided to make a stinky in the middle of our burpee reps. Luckily Florence was “Johnny on the spot” with a plastic baggy…

Next was an Indian run to the parking lot for a Dora rock workout.  Performed triceps extensions, shoulder presses and curls for the girlz – x100 reps each. PAX were told instead of doing high reps, to go slow and focus on form. Partner A started the rock reps while Partner B did evolution of man (Bear crawl 25 yards, lunge walk 25 yards, sprint back to their partner) around parking lot. Then trade places until all 100 rep goals were achieved.

Mary:

Plank hold while we went around the circle and each PAX gave a 10 count for a good shoulder burn.

Low Slow Flutter x20, boxcutter x15, LBC x20, homer to marge x20, monkey humper x20, have a nice day

Announcements:

-New seasonal AO @ Womble on Wednesdays at 1745 (Vicious Cycles)

-Greatest Place On Earth (Disney) Celebrates Dumbo’s 2 yr Anny tomorrow

-Volunteers still needed as Mulching Continues on Saturdays

-Consider donating to N2N…every little bit helps…more info and how to donate on 3rd F

-TBD NOW RATED BEST WEDNESDAY AO In SOUTHWAKE per all major news outlets

T-Claps (Recognition):

Kid Cracker for Getting back out to the gloom

Prayer: Florence starting a temporary job in South Carolina, Family that M4L mentioned that is going through a difficult separation (wife Aria), military and first responders

Escalations at Purple Cobra

FNGs: None

Warm Up: Moseyed over to the hill for 15 SSH IC, 10 Sir Fozio Arm Circles F+R, Michael Phelps, 20 Mountain Climbers.

The Workout: Escalating Doras.

50 merkins, 100 squats, 150 LBCs.

100 peter parkers, 200 squat jumps, 300 reverse LBCs.

50 burpees, 100 star jumps, and most of the planned 150 big boy situps…we ran out of time.

Mary: Moseyed back to the start for 10 pickle pounders IC.

Announcements: Dumbo Anniversary Q at Disney

Prayer: Wisdom for our nation’s leaders, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

6 Year Anniversary Gala at Cletus

Wow – 6 years.  When I first gave into the 18 month long headlock by Gnard Dogg from Raleigh – I remember telling my M that “maybe this will be good – I can catch a Friday workout a few times a month to change up things for me at the Y (Sad Clown).  Little did I know that 6 years later, I would have accomplished the following:

  • Probably 1,000 posts
  • 7 half marathons completed
  • 2 Blue Ridge Relays
  • Maybe 3,000 miles of running
  • 10+ CSAUPs
  • 100+ Q-ed workouts
  • Hundreds of Clown Car rides
  • Stronger Marriage and relations with my kids
  • Major advances in my career / leadership (I accredit some of this to F3)
  • Countless memories with hundreds of new friends

WOW

Rolling into the parking lot at Cletus, Mookie and I got a little concerned.  On the way over in the clown car, we discussed what we would do if we had more than 25 Pax.  I did not want too many in our group(s) given Covid.  I quickly discussed what I had planned to Mookie as we drove over.  I remember him looking at me like “Are you crazy?”

As it became obvious that the Pax count would be near 40 – we decided to go with the Audible and split the pax.  I am very glad we did.  T-Claps to Mookie for the co-Q

FNGs:  None – Shovel flag planted at 5:29
Warm Up: Got things started with a mosie down to the field near the small pavillion.  The one we always warm up in when the crowds are big

  • Hand Release Burpees x 5 (OYO)
  • Good Morning x 10 (IC)
  • SSH x 20 (IC)
  • Moroccan Night Clubs x 20 (IC)  – note:  no one of Moroccan decent was offended with this reference
  • Mountain Climbers x 20 (IC)
  • Hell – it’s time to go

The Workout:

Pax of 38 was split into roughly half.  Mookie too one to the lower field and YHC kept the other half up top at the Soccer field.  It went down like this

Thing 1:  The Elle McPhereson

The Split pax on the soccer field would split again into two groups.  Groups would perform exercises on duct taped sheets in two (2) of the four corners (diagonal from each other).  Group 1 would sprint 50% around the track while Group 2 did the exercises.  Group 2 does AMRAP until all of Group 1 makes it to the opposite corner.  Group 1 would signal with a “yell” for Group 2 to stop the reps and run the same direction (clockwise around the field to them).  This was repeated for 20 minutes while the other Pax was down on the field.  Basically we were looping the 1/2 miles around the soccer field.

Group 1 (Arms and Chest)

  • Burpees
  • Wide Grip Merkins
  • Carolina Dry Docks
  • Diamond Merkins

Group 2 (Legs and Abs)

  • Jump Squats
  • WW1
  • Star Jumps
  • Mountain Climbers

Thing 2:  “The Michigan”

This workout was from the original scrolls of Southwake.  It was named by a Ohio State fan.  “Because it sux”.  The pax gathered on the end line of the soccer/football field.  All we did was sprints and Jack Webbs.  It went like this

  • Ten – 100-yard dashes +  2 Hand Release Jack Webbs (2 hand release merkins and 8 halleluiahs) 
  • Eight – 80 yard dashes + 4 Hand Release Jack Webbs
  • Six – 60 yard dashes + 6 Hand Release Jack Webbs
  • Four – 40 yard dashes + 8 Hand Release Jack Webbs
  • Two – 20 yard dashes + 10 Hand Release Jack Webbs

That went on for 20 minutes – it was a smoker

The 2 groups converged on the North Tennis Courts for Mary and COT

Mary:

  • Low Slow Flutter
  • LBC Ladder (IC)
    • 5
    • 10
    • 15
    • 20
    • 10
    • 5
  • Have a nice day

Announcements:

  • Mulch
  • Q Swap in August

T-Claps (Recognition):

  • Gump for 5 years of F3!
  • YCH for 6 years
  • Kid Cracker for the Kotters – welcome back brother!

Prayer:

  • Unspoken
  • 1st responders
  • Brony’s friend with Cancer

YHC took us out in prayer

Photos, 2nd F and Busch Latte

I love you all

DB Out!

Throwback 5 – Day 4 – Disney

Throwback 5 appears to be working just as planned.  End the decade and start a new one with 5 convergences at the “Original 5” Southwake AOs.  Today was Disney’s turn.  YHC turned to Kid Cracker to co-Q with me as we were the Site’s initial Qs.  I always loved Q-ing with Kid Cracker as there would be diversity in the body parts worked and lots of good mumblechatter.

It was a cloudy, 37 degree Thursday morning as YHC approached a gathering crowd in the Middle Creek Park parking lot.  The glows of at least one (Redenbacher) Pax member finishing EC could be seen.  The original Southwake Shovel Flag was planted, fists were bumped and Kid Cracker got us going!

FNGs: None
Warm Up: Short fellowship jog (0.33 miles) around the dark soccer field – we continued this mosey to the small parking lot adjacent to the baseball field house – where we circled up

  • SSH x 20 I.C.
  • Good Morning x 20 I.C.
  • Downward Dog (left and right rocking)
  • Runners pose stretching (Left and Right)
  • Pigeon pose stretching (Left and Right)
  • on your feet to mosey to the High School student parking lot – Pax instructed to partner up on the run

The Workout:

Round 1:  Kid Cracker

  • Partner1 partner carry Partner2 the long distance up the hill in the parking lot.  Resting or alternating as needed
  • Disclaimer was issued by Kid Cracker “if you have back problems, knee problems or are on your (menstrual) cycle – you can lunge walk”  Classic 🙂
  • Alternative to partner carry was lunge walk half way then catch up on the run
  • At top of hill series of exercises were done (too gassed to remember)
  • Mosey back to bottom of the hill
  • Rince and repeat with alternating pax member
  • Fellowship run back to the park toward the Abyss (7 flights of stairs)

Round 2:  Deadbolt

  • Keep your partner – half the partners would go to bottom of the stair (but stay with your partners) and half stay up top
  • DORA with runners going up/down the stairs.  The DORA was
    • 100 Merkin
    • 200 LBC
    • 300 Squats
    • Ab exercises until the 6 gets up
  • Clockwise and Counterclockwise Indian runs (50-50 split) from the Abyss to the concrete area at the bottom on the half pipe
  • Jailbreak to Flag for Mary

Mary:  Alternating Abs by your Co-Qs

  • American Hammers x 20
  • Exaggerated Low Slow Flutter x 20
  • Freddy Merc x 20
  • Wide Grip Merkins x 20
  • Heels to Heaven x 20
  • Good Morning stretches
  • Michaels Phelps to close

Announcements:

  • Final Throwback 5 tomorrow- Cletus – it will be special
  • Carpex – Southwake Q Swap next 2 weeks
  • Dawgpound assisting Eagle Scout with fund raising opportunity and support – details on Slack

T-Claps (Recognition):

Prayer:

  • Wallaby, Crablegs, US Military Forces, some I may have forgot
  • DB Took us out in a ball of man

That’s one ugly coyote

Solid TBD beat down by @Double D this morning.  @Doc – still recovering – is pinch hitting on this backblast and will no doubt miss some details, but let’s roll.

First nice cool morning of fall.  13 HIMs gathered, waited patiently until 5:30 for The Natural (HC – must’ve had a flat on the way over), then got busy.

FNGs: Yes!  Welcome @Felix, son of @Sprinkler

Warm Up: Smurf jacks (knew he was serious when this was his opener), Moroccan Night Clubs, Imperial Walkers, Fazio Arm Circles, Hillbillies, Burpees, Brokeback Durkins, probably other things.

The Workout: DD kept us moving.  To the best of my recollection:
Stage 1: Four corners at the tennis court.  Corner 1: 5 burpees, Corner 2: 10 hand-release merkins, Corner 3: 15 star jumps, Corner 4: 20 prisoner squats.  Bear crawl between each station.
Stage 2: Mosey to picnic tables beside Hunt Center for Coyote Ugly (wheelbarrow pushups on the ground, on the bench, and on the table, hand-walking up and back down each time).  Rinse and repeat.
Stage 3: Mosey to grassy hill of pain.  Crawl bear down, bear crawl up stairs.  Repeat in reverse direction.
Stage 4: Typewriters on the fence, with multiple sets of merkins
Stage 5: Burpees
Stage 6: BTTW with Australian mountain climbers
Stage 7: People’s chair with wonderbras
Stage 8: Partner wheelbarrow up and down steps
Stage 9: Mosey to shelter for 20 irkins, derkins and dips
Stages 10, 11, 12…..Various and sundry other painful things that I’m forgetting or have intentionally shuffled to my subconscious

Mary: LBCs, pickle pounders, other abdominal exercises

Announcements: See Slack and FB.  The Natural continues our theme month at TBD next week

T-Claps (Recognition): Welcome Felix

Prayer: Many spoken and unspoken

3 Years & 1 Onesie

Solid crowd for YHC’s 3 year anniversary – clearly my warnings of no funny business did nothing to deter anyone from showing up.
After some speedy EC with Yogurt YHC donned the infamouse Pikachu onesie to make things really interesting. 0530 was here with no FNGs and we were off (our FNG showed up ~5 minutes into the workout).

EC: Pikachu, Yogurt, Skidmark, Dahmer, Aquaman, Redenbacher

FNGs: Sea Breeze

Warm Up:

Mosey to small tennis court and circle up

3x Burpees OYO
5x Burpees OYO since M4Life’s car clock needs to be fixed
SSH x 53 IC
Breakdancer x10 IC
Good Morning x10 IC
The Workout:

Stay on the tennis courts, partnering up (size matters, speed kinda matters)
Start at fence along long side of court, partner 1 does 10 partner carry fence squats, then wheel barrels the short way across the courts
Partner 2 repeats on the other side
Repeat counting down to 1 dropping by 3 each time. Can’t just do 1 so do 10 on the set of 1.

Mosey across street down hill to the well lit big hill in back
Partner 1 bear crawls to the top, does 10 derkins, crawl bears back down
Partner 2 does crab cakes until they’re back and then switch
Repeat with derkins going down 3 each time (7, 4, 10)

Mosey back across road all the way to pull up bars
Partner 1 does 10 pull ups
Partner 2 holds squat hold or helps partner if need be
Repeat with pull ups going down by 3 to 1….10 if pax can handle all that

Mosey back to tennis courts (big one this time) and line up along side line near fence.
Burpee broad jump across both courts to the other fence. Circle up for mary.
Mary:

LBC x20 IC
Plank hold for 3 minutes of fun:
1 minute of left hand up, left leg up, x10 crunches
1 minute of right hand up, right leg up, x10 crunches
1 minute of chill cut, pickle pounders, big boy pickle pounders
Announcements:

Great overview of Travis Manion Foundation by Breach and Lt. Dan.

New coffee spot for Fridays – Harvest Moon near Bass Lake Draft House/Lowe’s Food

T-Claps (Recognition):

Crab Legs for an inspirational summer
Prayer:

Crab Legs

Noah’s Ark & Michelle

Those impacted by 9/11

 

 

Always an honor and a priviledge men – thanks for making the last 3 years great. Can’t wait to see what the next 3 hold in store!

A trip to the Five & Dime

23 HIM’s posted in the gloom at the Trot this morning for a little arm work with a little gray block of cement!

FNGs: None

Warm Up: Led by FedEx – 5 burpee penalties were doled out to all pax who showed up to run EC while remaining pax held squats, SSH, Good Mornings, IW, Hillbillies, Michael Phelps, Fozio AC forward / reverse all in cadence. YHC added an additional 5 burpees in honor of Puddles who had requested on Tuesday that the pax perform burpees on his behalf since he had to return to his new abode in Beaufort, NC. We miss you Puddles!

The Workout: Two year F3 anniversary for FedEx and Double D who co-Q’ed a trip back in time to the days of the local Five & Dime. Cinder blocks were conveniently placed across the parking lot and Pax were instructed to push, pull, drag, or get cinder block anyway they so chose across parking lot to tennis courts without block leaving the asphalt. Once inside all Pax lined up at one end and a series of sets of 5 & dimes were called by YHC across the courts of curls for the girls, overhead presses, uneven merkins, blocks around the waist, rut rows, box jumps and plank jacks on blocks. At each end FedEx called an exercise with or without blocks of balls to the wall, mountain climbers on blocks, LBC’s, American hammers, wonder bra’s, etc, and then the series of 5 & dimes resumed back to the opposite end of courts. After a several trips to the Five and Dime blocks were then carried back out off the courts to be pushed, pulled, dragged back across the lot to YHC’s truck to be loaded up for another day! An audible was called for 10 burpees OYO after loading up the blocks.

Mary: Led by FedEx for a series of LBC’s, American hammers, pickle pounders, Homer to Marge, WWII’s

Announcements: Both FedEx and YHC expressed our thanks for this group of friends who inspire and challenge us here in SouthWake. YHC encouraged the Q’s to mix up their workouts by adding whatever they so choose and to think outside the box like assigning penalties to those who performed EC. Yoga tonight at Snap Fitness, Deadbolt’s & Gump’s 5 year anniversary Q at Womble on 7-19-19 – don’t miss it! The Arena workouts every Friday at 2:30 PM – try to do our best to give back to those men at Healing Transistions

T-Claps (Recognition): Mookie sporting Breath taker this week. Strong work Mookie!

Prayer: Robinson family whose husband/father very recently suddenly passed away, Noah’s Ark’s wife FedEx led us out in prayer.